Disability cases can be ‘prevented’

MORE than 80 per cent of disability cases can be prevented if we know the cause and have an effective health system which can treat it early, an official says. Chesire disAbility Services Papua New Guinea general manager Benard Ayieko said having the right resources was a challenge. He said this during the launching of the Chesire Strategic Plan 2016-2020 in Port Moresby on Friday. “They are preventable if we know the causes, application and if we have some of the best healthcare systems,” he said. “Unfortunately, unlike the hospital where the doctor will prescribe antibiotics for seven days for you to feel better, managing disability can be a long journey. You can be assured that to prevent somebody from being bound on the wheelchair to the point where they go to jobs, it can take years.” Ayieko said people living with disabilities and their families often lost hope. “They are talking about the fact that they will never live again. Some parents even stopped working to look after members of the family who are living with disabilities,” he said. “And when they stop work, poverty comes in with no money and food. The cycle of poverty goes round and affects the whole family.”